Ben O'Connell

Two Northumberland motorists have been banned from driving for 15 months after they were seen racing through the Tyne Tunnel.

CCTV footage shows the BMW of 44-year-old Joel Graydon and the Audi of Gavin Mason, 30, driving at excessive speeds.

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They both appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates Court last month following the incident in August 2016 in which they both drove at high speed through the tunnel in rush-hour traffic, weaving in and out of lanes between traffic.

Graydon, who lives in Dalton, and Mason, from Holywell, both pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and, as well as the driving ban, were both sentenced to eight eight weeks in jail, suspended for 12 months, ordered to do 60 hours' unpaid work and pay costs of £100.

PC Andrew Clarke, from Northumbria Police's Motor Patrols section, said: "I don't have to say what the implications of a high-speed collision in a confined space like the Tyne Tunnel would be and both these drivers not only put their own lives at risk but those of other road users who were going about their daily business."

Ron Henderson, tunnel manager at TT2, added: "We welcome the prosecution and sentencing of the two men caught speeding in the Tyne Tunnel last year. This demonstrates that speeding and dangerous driving will not be tolerated in the tunnel. We commend Northumbria Police’s action regarding the case and will continue our partnership with them to keep our customers safe."